Living in Durango, Colorado for the past eighteen years allowed Ollie Rizzo to build her own business and carve out a quiet existence for her and her teenage daughter. She’s used to going it alone. However, their new silver-haired neighbor might present a problem—not only is he handsome—he’s also Durango’s new chief of police; a complication she can’t afford.For recently widowed Joe Benedetti, … Benedetti, the job offer as Durango’s new chief of police came at the right time. With life, the new job, and his two young sons settling into a comfortable routine, he does his best to ignore the beautiful and intriguing woman across the street. Yet when he discovers she’s caught the attention of the FBI, there is no way he can stay away.
Their worlds collide with the appearance of FBI Special Agent Cruz Livingston. The agent has a warning to deliver, one that spins life in Durango out of control, giving Joe a crucial mission—keep Ollie alive.
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We first met Joe Benedetti in the first book in this series Burning for Autumn and do yourself a favour and read it We also get to revisit with some of the characters from the Rock Point books to the point that I then went and bought all those books to read
In this book Joe is the new chief of police he has moved from Denver to give his two sons a better life now that he is a sole parent after the death of his wife to cancer and to make things even easier for him he also has a blue haired young girl across the road who is willing to babysit for him. Trinity is also growing up with a single parent her mother is Olivia (Ollie) when the FBI come calling in regards to Ollies brother Joe gets dragged into the situation and as he spends more time with Ollie he begins to fall in love Will he be able to overcome the feeling he is betraying his wife and how will he react when not only Ollie but Trinity are put in danger and it is much closer than anyone realises. This is afast paced book with plenty of suspense and dram keeping you glued until that last page
FLOVED IT…….as always!!
When you pick up a book by Freya Barker you know that you’re gonna get a growly, overly protective, hot leading man and a feisty AF, determined, straight talking leading lady to give him a run for his money….
Covering Ollie gave us that, along with a genuine sense of family, some action, more than a few secrets, intrigue and some well placed humour.
I’ve read Ms B’s books since the start and I continue to enjoy them, all these books in. I love the fact that her characters are that bit older (an age I can empathize with), they are often times bruised if not battered, quite often have health issues (that they deal with ‘cos they have to – just as in life!!) but are all more than worthy of love, affection, devotion and their own HEA.
I liked the fact that CO is a part of Susan Stoker’s ‘Badge of Honor’ world and was tickled that Ms S got an author shout out in the story!!! 🙂
While this is the second book in the On Call series, it could be read as a standalone but, IMHO, to fully enjoy and engage with the supporting characters, reading the Rock Point books and Burning for Autumn would be a good way to start.
Freya Barker does it again! Covering Ollie is the second installment from the On Call series and it’s EPIC!
I’m just gonna lay it out there—Joe Benedetti is my new FAVORITE book boyfriend. He’s beyond sexy, bossy, alpha, smart, and takes charge in the bedroom … Well, of course he does; he’s Durango’s new chief of police. If Freya can out do him, I’ll probably pass out.
A widowed father of two boys, Ryder and Mason, Joe Benedetti has an extreme amount of chaos and responsibilities on his plate, both professionally and personally. The way he handles himself, it’s easy to understand why he’s so well-respected and liked. Joe has the perfect mixture of sternness and warmth with his two boys who lost their mom to cancer a little over a year-and-a-half ago.
Joe is lucky that he has Trinny, the seventeen-year-old neighbor who lives across the street as she’s a huge help babysitting his boys. That leads him to …
Olivia Rizzo is a single mom to Trinny, raising her on her own. Ollie, as she likes to be called, lost part of her leg in a car accident but certainly doesn’t let the disability slow down her life. Ollie is a spitfire and not too much gets past her. If she comes across as bossy, her fiery Italian temper combined with eighteen years of being a sole decision-maker and caregiver to her daughter are to blame. She’s had no other choice, not that she’d change a thing when it comes to her Trinny.
Little does Ollie know that her past is gonna catch up with her and trouble is on its way. Luckily, she has Durango’s chief of police to protect her and Trinny, and boy does he! Joe, along with Cruz Livingston from Susan Stoker’s Police and Fire: Operation Alpha, and the rest of Freya’s Rock Point FBI hotties do what they do best.
Joe and his boys’ lives become entwined with Ollie and Trinny’s and in doing so, it’s clear they all need one another. All the parts that have been missing in each of their lives are filled to the brim as a new family is created. Joe and Ollie together are as natural as the beautiful gardens she brings to life.
Covering Ollie is another masterpiece. The storyline is so well-written and filled with lots of twists and turns and suspense. There’s the perfect balance of steamy, sexy times, heartfelt family moments, and funny and sassy banter. The supporting cast never fails to make every single one of Freya’s books a literary candy store, adding a kaleidoscope of color and depth that spills from the pages, and this one is no exception.
And … I just have to reiterate … Joe Benedetti ROCKED MY WORLD. He is the ultimate swoon worthy alpha M.A.N.—just ask Ollie, she’ll tell ya ~
I say it every single time, but Freya Barker is the BEST storyteller of our time. Her books are treasures, sure to be read over and over again. Five stars for me! A must read ~
The second book in the Police and Fire: Operation Alpha & On Call a book I was not putting down. I hope there is more to come in this series. Widowed Joe Benedetti is now the new chief of police in Durango, Colorado. He has come there with his two boys to start over after his wife’s death. He meets Ollie Rizzo and her daughter his next door neighbours. When FBI Special Agent Cruz Livingston comes to town everyone’s life will be turned upside down especially Ollie’s. This story has suspense,drama, twists, turns, arson, kidnapping, danger, a crime boss, villains, and romance. I recommend this book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
First of all, I loved the reference to Susan Stoker in chapter 8. Joe and Ollie are neighbors – her daughter is his kids’ babysitter. They become friends, then she has to let him in on part of her past when the FBI starts poking around. I love the banter between Joe and Ollie – his alpha personality pushes her buttons, but she pushes right back. There’s so much action and suspense, not knowing who’s after her. There’s a wonderful ending that is exactly what I hoped it would be (I just love Grace’s contribution to their HEA!). This is my second read from this author, and I’m looking forward to more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Heartfelt romantic suspense at its finest! Covering Ollie is the second book in the On Call series. Our hero in this one is Police Chief Joe Benedetti who we met in Burning for Autumn. The widower certainly has his hands full with his two young sons and a demanding job. Enter Olivia “Ollie” Rizzo. I liked and respected her character so much. She is outwardly bristly but softhearted and vulnerable on the inside. She has worked hard to escape her past and forge a positive future for herself and her teenage daughter. But sometimes your past catches up to you. An errant brother, mafia connections, and a villain who came out of left field all combine for some serious suspense and WTF moments. The romance was realistic and oh so satisfying. Joe and Ollie have a strong physical attraction which leads to much more and I gotta say…I just love a silver fox hero! And Joe is smokin hot and so so alpha. Appearances by characters in Burning for Autumn and the Rock Point Series made me smile. Looking forward to the next one. Very enjoyable romance with a compelling suspense plot!
Reviewed by: Jamie B.
What can I say!!!! Ms. Barker has worked her ALPHA magic once again!!! We are given Joe and Ollie’s story and what a great story it is!!!
Ollie and her daughter come into Joe and his sons lives under normal circumstances. They go about their lives until Ollie’s past makes an appearance then we’ve got some intense suspense!!!
I have enjoyed Ms. Barker’s writing since discovering her book Keeping 6, she always brings the ALPHA male that I crave and the equally strong and independent heroines. I will always pick up her books and continue to devour them.
Reviewed by: Dana D.
Ollie and Joe….what can I say? Joe….a widower and Ollie the single mom. Neighbors, then friends and then lovers.
I can’t say this enough about how Freya Barker writes . It’s some of the best contemporary romance in the business. Her characters are always mature (both in age and attitude), smart, self reliance and someone I would want to be friends with.
Covering Ollie had me laughing, crying and on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I absolutely loved this book.
Reviewed by: Heather S.
This was another great read this is series. I really enjoyed Ollie and Joe’s story. I liked that the characters were older and seasoned as well as developed and relatable. It was a good second chance at love read – with a great balance of drama, suspense and romance. I loved that is was based on Susan Stoker’s work – as I love her books and who doesn’t love a good alpha male protecting what is his.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Freya Barker never disappoints. Every time I read her latest, I say “now this couple is my favorite” but I’ll say the same thing with the next book and the next. Her characters are so real and she brings them to life with her words so perfectly. Ollie and Joe could live in your neighborhood or that couple in Wal-Mart that you just know love each other.
Ollie lives her life and raises her daughter alone. She has a good life, albeit quiet and maybe a little lonely, but she likes it. Joe has lost his wife and now he’s alone, raising his sons. He’s trying to make a good life, a quiet life, for himself and his sons and his first move was to move them to Durango. Ollie and Joe end up as neighbors, each watching the other, but not willing to move ahead. Until that push, that push that always happens, that push that sends them down the path to each other.
Congratulations, Freya, for another spectacular story and thank you for sharing it with us!
Covering Ollie is one of my favorite type of love story to read. We have an older couple in their 40’s, both single parents who have a bit of tragedy in their pasts, love-able kids, and a mature story line.
Joe is the new Chief of police, and a single dad to two boys. He lost his wife to cancer less than two years ago and has no plans to move on from her, until his neighbor catches his eye. You see a bit of a struggle with him as he gets closer with Ollie but overall, I really love how he treated her and her daughter.
Ollie is a single mom to her teenage daughter who’s been hiding from a dangerous past she unknowingly got involved in. Her and her daughter have been able to live a relatively quiet life for the past 17 years before that past finds her again. Lucky for them, Joe is there to protect them both.
I pretty much loved everything about this book. I seem to gravitate more and more to books with older couples. With more mature couples, you get more mature conflict and the way that conflict is dealt with. I’m also a big fan of the single parent finding love.
There is a pretty amazing cast of side characters in this, as well. I’ll be sure to check out more in this series.
Once again Freya Barker slays it! I absolutely loved Covering Ollie! Freya introduces us to two wonderful characters using a writing skillset reminiscent of Kristen Ashley. I swear her characters must be regulars at Fortnum’s.
Joe, (who by the way, is now high up the ranks of my book boyfriend list), is a yummy, strong alpha character. After being widowed, Joe accepts the job as Durango’s new chief of police and relocates with his two young sons.
Ollie is a single mother who runs her own landscaping company. With all that she has survived, she has proven to have the strength of a fighter, not afraid to stand her ground or go after what she needs. What she needs is her new yummy neighbor. She just doesn’t know it yet.
Neither of our two characters are looking for a relationship. Joe is still overcoming the loss of his wife and busy dealing with the demands of his new job and his boys. Just when Joe thinks he can keep at bay the one woman who makes his heart skip a beat, it’s revealed that she has garnered the attention of a very notorious mobster. Not trusting anyone to protect her but himself. Joe becomes her constant companion. This time he has definitely found his match. Ollie challenges him in every way. Their relationship builds hot and bright!
Being with Joe; “It’s wild, it’s out of control, and it’s absolutely phenomenal.”
“I took a minute, trying to find control. Turns out I’ve got none once I have your taste on my lips.”
But not everything is instantly happy. Several things stand in the way. Larger than life is the guilt Joe feels having found someone, at times it becomes all consuming. It is a battle he’ll have to decide he wants to fight. While Ollie has to find if she has the strength to live in the shadow of a ghost.
“I loved her, loved our family, but then she died, Ma. Should I piss away the rest of my life living into the shadow of that, or should I grab hold of a spark of sunshine and follow it into the light?”
And the mobster, why is he after Ollie? What other secrets are hidden? Will being with Ollie put his boys in danger? Lots of decisions and lots of risks, what will finally win?
The story had a great plot. It is well written with lovable characters. There is a great balance between drama, humor, and suspense. I really enjoy her writing and story-telling abilities. This book gives us the rare story line of a physically challenged female and a man who sees her strength, not her disability. Main characters are typically emotionally broken not physically disabled, so I appreciated the risk the author took to take the road less traveled. Overall a fantastic read!!
I read an ARC of this story. My fair and honest review is voluntary.
Joe is a widowed father of 2 boys trying to survive in a new town with a new job as police commissioner. Olivia is a single mother to an opinionated 17 year old girl trying to keep everything in her life above water. These two have been neighbors for a little while and Olivia’s daughter babysits for Joe, but they have never really met. That is until an accident and Olivia’s past push them together. There is alot going for this book romance, suspense, and the perfect amount of comedic relief to keep you sucked in to this story. My only critique is that the author seems to go back and forth on Joe’s extra curricular activities after his wife died. One minute he hasn’t been a monk, but the next page she talks about how Ollie is the first woman to make him react in any way sexually. It was just a little confusing. These two are definitely amazing though as well as all the secondary characters. You get to see some familiar faces in this book and it’s always fun to catch up with old friends. Can’t wait to read what’s next!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If I could bottle up how I felt while reading this I could solve all the world’s problems and become a billionaire simultaneously. There is just nothing quite like the emotion that Freya Barker’s writing pulls from me. Covering Ollie had me feeling everything. Just absolutely EVERYTHING! I laughed, I cried, I swooned and I gasped. Covering Ollie had me absolutely captivated right from the beginning.
I don’t even know how to begin to try to articulate how Ollie and Joe’s grabs you. There’s just so much going on creating layer after layer of beauty and creating a book that fully immerses you into the world of these characters. More than just a simple romance, but trust me the romance between Ollie and Joe is AHHHHMAZING, this book is like a full emotional journey with suspense that keeps you guessing around every corner.
This book has plenty of great tropes to satisfy, single Dad (check), single Mom (check), neighbors that cross the line (check) and some danger (check). Single mom Ollie has done it all by herself, raising her daughter, starting her own business and staying safe but when trouble come back looking for her she may need help this time. Widowed Joe Benedetti, chief of police doesn’t have the time of the interest in dating but when his neighbor Ollie find herself in trouble he jumps in to help but risks losing his heart in the process. A great follow up in this new series that warms the heart, makes you smile and a want a hot chief of police for yourself.
Joe Benedetti is a dad doing the best that he can. Ollie Rizzo is just trying to take care of her daughter. Our author could have just left her story with two parents starting over but she went out of her way to create more. Once you see what Joe does for a living, you’ll know that she’s setting us up for an adventure.
One thing I liked about this author was that she took the chance on creating a character that’s not physically perfect. She shows that Ollie doesn’t let physical challenges stop her from doing what she needs to in order to do what she needs to for her daughter. The kids are more of a secondary character but the author created enough that you want to see them grow up.
Our author slowly builds her story, which gives us time to get to know our main characters a little. That doesn’t mean that anything moves slowly. I have a problem with speed reading but this was one book that I didn’t mind slowing things down to enjoy what was created for my enjoyment. She made it easy to see them, right from the beginning, becoming a blended family – you could see the love they all had for each other. Everything seemed plausible and nothing felt as if it didn’t belong to the storyline. And that just makes for the perfect ending for everyone.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Joe Benedetti just moved to Durango to find a better way to raise his boys. He is the newest police chief and loves the job. He finds Trinny from across the street to watch his boys after school. Her mother is a mystery. She waves from across the street but it’s a while before they meet. Ollie, short for Olivia, is trying to raise her teenage daughter. Her past might have been dangerous but she’s making her future safe.
I loved Ollie. She has no filter and says what she wants. Her interaction with Joe is surprising to her since no one has made this much of an impact. In turn Joe’s reaction to her. He hasn’t felt this way since his late wife. The fact that Ollie’ s past has come back pushes them in close proximity but doesn’t diminish their attraction. And Joe? Holy hotness!
No one I have read does mature characters better than Freya Barker. Team those characters with her creative romantic suspense plots and you have the making of a perfect read. Covering Ollie is exactly that kind of book for me. Ms. Barker never ceases to amaze me, her writing pulls me in on the first page and doesn’t release me until well after I’ve finished the book.
This story centers on two single parents. Ollie’s been going it alone for eighteen years, while Joe has only been a single parent for eighteen months. Ollie’s worked hard to provide for her daughter, despite the obstacles put in her way and the secrets from her past. When those come knocking, Joe, the new Durango chief of police and Ollie’s neighbor, goes into protection mode. While the couple is drawn to each other, both are hesitant to see where it leads. Once Ollie is in danger, all bets are off.
I love that Ms. Barker writes characters with flaws who are mature and don’t play games in a relationship. Once the decision is made, they are always all in. Sexy silver foxes are my downfall and Joe fits that descriptor to a T.
Ms. Barker’s plotting is well-paced, her characters well-developed, and her couples out of this world sensual. I love that she realizes that just because people are mature, it doesn’t mean that they are any less sexual and loving than their twenty-something counterparts. Her style leads the reader by the heart and her suspense plots make the reader think. This is the second crossover into the Susan Stoker world and I hope Ms. Barker has many more stories up her sleeve.
Favorite Quotes:
Had I known law enforcement apparently comes with a prerequisite hot factor here in Durango, I might’ve gotten myself in trouble sooner. Holy Hannah, they have them in all shapes and colors here, but so far —without exception— all very handsome.
In my twenties I still had a firm body that could snap back into shape like that. At forty-three all the damn elastic is gone.
She’s been a burr up my butt since I knocked her off her damn throne last week. Spreading rumors that I’ve been sneaking into Mr. Costello’s room at night… He’s in 2D. Ninety-three years old and can barely lift his eyelids, let alone anything else. I swear that woman is killing my rep… That’s why I’m calling. I’m plotting revenge, but I can’t remember if it was the calla lily or the daffodil that can make you sick enough to shit your pants… Can’t take this lying down, Ollie. In just one week, any gains I’ve made in beating her ass at Bingo have gone down the toilet. Best payback to send her there as well.
…there’s no limit to the love we have to give. It’s not like shoes, where you can only wear one pair at a time.
My Review:
I always enjoy Freya Barker’s hard-working heroes and romantic suspense tales full of sizzle, sass, and sexy and protective alpha lawmen. Her characters tend to be admirable and inspirational survivors, endearingly tattered, and assisting others as best they can while also dealing with their own challenges and limitations. Covering Ollie was classic Barker with generous slices of humor, sensuality, and intrigue while featuring single parents juggling jobs, parenting, work stress, and threats of a violent criminal element while navigating a new relationship minefield littered with snoopy family members and the unsolicited yet well-meaning opinions and advice of co-workers. The engaging storylines were easy to follow, held my attention, kept me guessing, and had several unexpected twists I never saw coming.
A widow, father of two boy and single mother of a teenage girl, with a haunting past. The vulnerabilities of each character really shined through creating a heartfelt read. I like that both Joe and Ollie are older and blend two families into one. This is a great moving, and suspenceful read.
I received an advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a honest, unbiased review.
I loved Joe and Ollie. Joe is the new chief of police and Ollie is the single mom who lives across the street. Their paths cross because Ollie’s daughter starts babysitting Joe’s two sons. Joe is a widower and isn’t planning on starting a new relationship. Ollie has been a single mom raising her daughter alone. Slowly their lives are thrown together and they start to have feelings for each other. Fantastic read and the characters felt real and relatable. Loved these two and look forward to more from this author. Don’t miss out on this book
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved the book it was great, the story was well written and the characters were interesting. Joe is a single father of two boys who moved to a quiet place to be chief of police. Ollie is a single mother of a teenage daughter. Joe and Ollie live next door to each other, they both try to ignore each other but life changes everything.
Thank you for allowing me to review this book it was great.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.